Last year sometime I asked about favorite bookstores. But I was talking more about Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Borders, Books A Million, or whichever major chain you have near you in which you get your books. But now I’m only talking indies.
I have to first be honest, I very rarely shop in my favorite indie bookstore. It’s just too expensive for me. I buy all of my books new, but doing so there would be ridiculous. So there, that’s out of the way.
My favorite is a store called Murder by the Book in Houston. It’s been around since the 80s and they host a couple hundred author events every year, mostly for crime writers. And these events are well attended. I’ve only been to two, but I’ve seen pictures of others in which there were people lined up outside. Besides all the events the store hosts each year, one of my favorite aspects is the feel when you walk in. I mean, the Barnes and Noble a few miles away from me is nice. I just went for the first time in over a year last week. But it still has that store feel. At least for me. Murder by the Book feels more…like your neighbor’s house with a lot of books. I think. It’s hard to describe. And the people are rather nice.
Anyway, that’s all about my favorite indie bookstore. Here are a couple pictures from inside Murder by the Book.
Tell me about your favorite indie bookstore.
Johnny Reads 
I don’t know if I have a favorite indie bookstore. Most of the ones I’ve frequented in the past are while I’m traveling. Small towns are great for finding independently owned bookstores, and those are usually used bookstores.
Oh! I know. Duh. The place where I’m staying right now has an awesome indie bookstore called Saturn Booksellers. It’s in Gaylord, Michigan, where I’m currently working. Very snowy and very far north. It’s a cute, quaint little place that sells every genre, but they keep it well stocked, and their staff picks are spot-on. I’ve enjoyed a few from their recommendations. And the owner is probably the most widely read individual I’ve ever known. I thought I read a lot of books, but not compared to her. So there.
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Where I live there are very few independent stores of any kind (I believe because the rent on the premises are too high) and unfortunately none of them are book stores 😦 I’m sure I could find one by going into the city but when I go I usually get lost if I leave the main street.
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I love The Last Bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles.
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My two favorite book stores are in towns I spend off time in. Labyrinth Books in Princeton is between and indie and a chain in size and feel. Located across the street from the main campus in Princeton, there is plenty of great reads to expand one’s thought on almost any subject. Sun Rose Books in Ocean City, NJ is a true indie, and is where my family picks up our summer reading. As an aside, my kids also enjoy the indie book stores better than the chains and we are sure to hit one and get a couple of books wherever we travel.
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Your favorite spot looks amazing! 🙂 A month or two ago, I wrote a post about my own much-beloved Used Book Haunt (my affectionate title). It’s a ramshackle little storefront with peeling paint, and inside is a veritable maze of stacked books. I could spend all day in there … 🙂 http://wp.me/p5efeV-7x
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I have a couple of indie bookstores that I really like. One is right near the Sydney Harbour Bridge, called Blues Point Bookshop. It’s in this sweet little terraced house. The owner reads pretty much all the books she stocks and gives fantastic recommendations… price wise there’s no way I could afford to shop there all the time, but the people living in that area probably could.
I also love this bookstore in the Southern Highlands of NSW called Berkelouw’s Book Barn. It’s owned by an indie chain with about 6 shops scattered throughout Sydney, but the barn is on a vineyard. In winter they have a roaring fire, so you can curl up in an armchair to read. The cows come right up to the fence for a pat too =)
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Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon. It’s so big out requires a map, but still feels as cozy as home.
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